Poison
by Roronoa333
Summary: Sanji gets bitten by a snake on his hand and may not be able to cook properly again. Zoro tried to support him through the hardship. Zoro and Sanji friendship with a sprinkle of Chopper.
1. Chapter 1

Robin looked up from her book and frowned. "Zoro has been searching for food for a long time," she announced. "I wonder if he's okay."

"He's probably just lost, knowing him. It's ridiculous; anyone would think this island was impossible to get lost at," Nami said. She turned to the rest of the crew. "I sure wish I had a knight to help me!"

"YES, NAMI-SAN! I AM HERE!" Sanji dashed over to her, swooning. "What is wrong, Nami-san, Robin-chan?"

"Zoro hasn't come back from searching for food and it's getting late. Will you please go out and look for him? I'm worried," Nami said.

"OF COURSE, NAMI-SAN!" He leaped onto the island and turned back to the ship. "I'll be back soon, guys," he called.

"SANJI, WHAT ABOUT FOOD?!" Luffy shouted. His stomach growled.

"I can't cook any until I find the stupid mosshead. He needs to eat too. Just be patient." He waved goodbye and strolled into the forest. The island was made up entirely of a jungle. Chopper and Usopp had found some plants, some strange fruit and a weird kind of reptilian pig. After discovering all of which were edible, Nami had sent out the monster trio to search for food. Sanji lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Of course the mosshead would get lost.

"Oi, Zoro! Where are you?" He called. No response. "Zooooorooooo! Quit playing around and head back to the Sunny with me!" He gazed up at the treetops. It was too thick to tell for sure, but he had a terrible feeling that it was getting darker.

He continued to trudge deeper into the jungle. Hisses and caws echoed around him. Insects crawled up the trees, snacking on the tree sap. The smell of exotic plants and flowers clung to the humid air.

A snake slithered toward him and he froze, heart pounding. The blue and red scales were a direct contrast to the muddy ground… those bright colours meant this snake was poisonous. Most likely deadly. It slithered up to Sanji's shoe and flicked its tongue out. Sanji's breath quickened. His eyes widened as the snake began to wrap around his leg, making its way up to his torso. "No, no, no, no, no, no…" Sanji whispered, his heart pounding.

"Oi, Dartboard brow. What are you doing here?"

Sanji turned his head around slowly, his eyes still widened.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong Love cook?"

And then he saw it. The snake's head poised over Sanji's shoulder, its fangs glinting and dripping with venom. "O-oi, Sanji," he whispered.

"I know, mosshead," Sanji hissed. He knew he had to get the snake off somehow. He eased his hand up toward the snake's body as gently and slowly as he could. Zoro gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed.

"Careful," he whispered as Sanji's fingers inched closer to the snake's body. His fingertips brushed against its scales; the snake hissed in response, baring its fangs. Its head darted towards Sanji's hand and it sunk its fangs into it. There was a soft thud as it dropped to the floor and it slithered away. But Sanji wasn't paying attention. Instead, his eyes were locked onto the two puncture wounds.

Zoro rushed to the cook's side and grabbed his hand. "This is bad! We need to get you to Chopper. Don't move; I'll carry you. We don't want the venom spreading through your body." Sanji remained silent, staring at his hand through bulging eyes. "Oi, Sanji! Are you listening!?"

"M-my hand," he said through gasps. "I-I won't be a-able to cook again!"

"Calm down, you're gonna be fine!" Sanji shook his head and stumbled backwards, colliding into a tree. Zoro grabbed his shoulders. "Look at me, Sanji. You're going to be fine. Chopper will fix you up."

"H-huh…? M-mosshead? I-is that you…?" Sanji stuttered. Zoro narrowed his eyes and frowned. Was the cook delirious?

"Yeah," he said, "it's me. How are you feeling?"

"Wh-why are you a-acting… like y-you care…?"

"Stupid love cook. I care about everyone in the crew, even you. Even if you're a pain in the ass sometimes." Zoro turned around, holding his hands back behind him, offering Sanji a piggyback. "C'mon, I'll carry you back to the Sunny," he said.

"F-fuck you, I-I'll walk there myself." Sanji staggered forward, hyperventilating, his forehead dripping with sweat.

"Oi, you're in no condition to walk!" Zoro yelled. "Let me carry you!"

Sanji shook his head furiously. "'M gonna… g-gonna get th-there… muh-myself…" Black shoes scraped against the ground as he stumbled towards Zoro, brow furrowed. He groaned softly. Black spots swarmed his vision and his surroundings seemed to sway. He hit the ground with a thud.

"Shit! Sanji, wake up!" Zoro screamed, rushing to his side. No response. Zoro placed a hand on Sanji's burning forehead. "Shit, shit, shit!" Scooping up the unconscious cook, Zoro prayed he'd find the Sunny in time.


	2. Chapter 2

_**So, here's chapter 2! I apologise for any mistakes. I didn't really have time to edit this one and I didn't wanna take forever to upload another chapter. I might edit this properly another time and republish though.**_

Zoro trudged through the jungle, carrying Sanji bridal style. The cook's bad hand was resting on his stomach and was now twice the size.

"O-Oi, Zoro!" A high pitched voice called out.

"Huh? Chopper?" Zoro turned around to see the reindeer running towards him in walk point. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later! There's no time right now! We need to get Sanji back to the Sunny quickly, so follow me!"

Chopper and Zoro reached the Sunny and rushed into the infirmary with Sanji in tow, ignoring the rest of the crew's shouts and questions. Zoro eased Sanji onto the bed, being careful not to jostle him too much, while Chopper filled a basin with freezing water and dunked a towel into it. He handed the bowl to Zoro. "Can you take care of his fever while I try and fix the poison?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah," Zoro replied, placing the towel on the Sanji's brow, who groaned in response to the cool sensation. His eyes fluttered open.

"M-Mosshead…? Wh-where am I?"

"Sunny's infirmary. How do you feel?" Zoro asked.

"M-my hand is k-killing me…" He began to lift his hand. Zoro rushed over and pinned his arm down.

"Don't look. Do you remember what happened earlier in the jungle?"

"Wh-what? What h-happened?" Sanji asked.

Zoro's eyes narrowed and his mouth turned down into a frown. He glanced at Chopper, who shook his head. Armed with tray of medical tools, Chopper trotted over to Sanji's bedside. He hopped onto the bed and examined Sanji's hand. "Hmm…"

"Is he okay, Chopper?" Zoro asked.

"O-oi, j-just tell me… wh-what's wrong a-already…!" Sanji said between pants. Chopper sighed.

"Your hand was bitten by a deadly snake," Chopper explained, injecting a fluid into his hand. "I'm injecting anti-venom now. You'll feel a slight pinch."

Sanji winced. "But is my hand gonna be okay?"

There was a heavy silence. "I don't know," Chopper replied. "I'm sorry Sanji." Tears began to well up in Chopper's eyes.

"Oi, Chopper. Don't apologise. You don't know for sure yet, so don't admit defeat before you even start," Zoro said, taking the towel from Sanji's head and dunking it in the water again. He squeezed it out and laid it down, his movements uncharacteristically gentle.

"How bad is it? Can I look?" Sanji asked.

"Sure, but don't freak out," Zoro replied, sitting against the wall. Gulping, Sanji eased his hand up into the air, holding it in front of his face. His heart sank.

His hand was swollen up to twice its usual size. Patches of purple and red surrounded the bitemarks and his veins were black. Blood trickled from the puncture wounds, which were now two gaping holes instead of pinprick-sized ones. "Shit…" Sanji whispered.

Chopper wiped his tears in his arm. "The anti-venom has removed the poison, but it can't reverse any of the effects. I'm gonna work on something that will ease the swelling. I can't guarantee it will work, though," Chopper explained as he set up an IV in Sanji's good arm. "Zoro, could you explain to the crew what's happened? Tell them someone else will have to take over the cooking while Sanji's out of action. Also, I can't have any disturbances, so make sure Luffy doesn't rush in, please."

Zoro nodded, making his way over to the infirmary door. "Wait, Zoro…"

"Hm? Love-cook? What is it?" He raised an eyebrow at Sanji.

"Please come back after…"

"Uh, sure, sure…" The swordsman coughed awkwardly and left the infirmary.

The smell of seawater was a pleasant change to the disinfectant smell of the infirmary. The moon was full, shining over the deck of the sunny and giving everything a bluish hue. No one could be seen out on deck, so he made his way into the kitchen, where he could hear Luffy shouting. He opened the door.

"Oi, Nami! Let me go see Sanji!" Luffy shouted as Usopp held him back. He stopped struggling when he saw his first mate. "Zoro!"

"Luffy," Zoro started.

"What's happened to Sanji!?" Luffy shouted. Usopp was struggling to keep hold of him now.

"He… He was bitten by a snake. Chopper's got rid of the poison but his hand needs fixing, so don't go running into the infirmary. He needs quiet. But love cook will be out of action for a while, so someone's gonna have to take over cooking the meals," Zoro explained.

"I'll cook while he gets better," Nami said. "He will be okay, though, right?"

Zoro stared at the ground. There was a heavy silence, until he finally said "I don't know."

"Zoro? What do you mean?" Usopp asked, eyes widened.

"Chopper can't guarantee his hand will be okay," Zoro said. The crew fell into silence again. "S-sorry. This is my fault for not getting back sooner..." Zoro's voice was barely audible.

"Zoro-san, that's not true," Brook started. "It's no one's fault. Things just turned out unfortunately."

Usopp nodded. "Yeah, and there's still a chance that his hand will be okay!"

Zoro shrugged and looked at Luffy. His captain's eyes were hidden behind his hat, and his mouth was turned down into a frown. "Luffy?" He asked.

"I believe Sanji will get better," he said quietly. "Zoro, stop blaming yourself." Luffy's now-visible eyes were narrowed.

"Luffy, sorry…" Zoro opened his mouth to say more, but clamped it shut again. He forced a smile at his captain. "Guess you're right. I have to go back to the infirmary now." Feet dragged against the floor as Zoro trudged out of the room, grabbing a barrel of sake on his way out. _Sorry, Luffy, but I can't follow your orders. This is my fault, no matter what anyone says._


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! Sorry it took so long and sorry it's so damn short. Hope you enjoy and I hope it's not too boring!**

The infirmary door creaked open and Zoro stepped into the room. Chopper jolted at the sound.

"Oh, Zoro. It's you," Chopper mumbled as he flicked through a medical book. Zoro said nothing. His eyes drifted over to the bed, where Sanji lay. Asleep. Zoro scratched the back of his head and coughed.

"How is he?" He asked.

"About the same," Chopper replied, shutting the book. "I'm working on something to reduce the swelling, but it won't get rid of the scarring or the discolouration." He sniffed, but wiped the tears out of his eyes.

"Well, he'll still be able to cook as long as the swelling goes down," Zoro said, slumping against the wall.

"I'll try my best." The reindeer yawned loudly.

"Chopper, go rest. I'll watch over him."

"But-"

"You need to sleep. You won't be able to focus if you stay up all night," Zoro said. "I'll watch over him, don't worry. If anything comes up I'll give you a shout." The reindeer pouted, but complied.

"Zoro," he started, pushing open the infirmary door, "make sure you keep his fever down."

"Will do. Now go and rest." He smiled at Chopper, who nodded and shut the door behind him.

Zoro sighed and picked up his barrel, chugging down the sake. After finishing, he tossed it aside and wiped his mouth in his sleeve. A flush of red crept over his cheeks. "Oi, Sanji," he murmured, shaking the cook awake.

"Wha-? Marimo?" He rubbed his bleary eyes. "Why the hell did you wake me?"

"I'm sorry your hand got fucked up. It's my fault... for getting lost," he said, slurring slightly.

"Are you drunk?" Sanji asked, sitting up.

"I'm not drunk," Zoro replied.

"I think we better get you to bed…" Sanji said as he began to get out of his bed.

"No. Stay in bed," Zoro said, clumsily pushing the cook back into the bed. He stared down at Sanji and gritted his teeth. "I'm fucking sorry, Sanji. It's my fault you're in this infirmary. It's my fault your hand got injured. I got lost and you ended up injured. It's all my damn fault. I can never face Luffy or the others again." Zoro covered his eyes with his hand, but it didn't stop the tears from rolling down his face. Sanji's eyes widened.

"You're wrong. Yeah, you got lost, and yeah, I got bitten by a snake. But did you set the snake on me? No. You didn't. It was just an unfortunate circumstance. You did nothing wrong."

"Chopper said he can't get rid of the scars or the purple discolouration," Zoro stated, still covering his eyes. "He can bring down the swelling, but your hand will never look normal again."

"As long as the swelling goes down I can still cook. It's not the end of the world," Sanji said. "Come sit down." He patted an empty space on the bed. Zoro complied.

"I… Guess you're right," Zoro mumbled. Sanji rubbed his back soothingly with his good hand.

"It'll be okay. Chopper's a great doctor and he'll be able to fix it up so I can cook again." He beamed at Zoro, who sighed in response.

"How's your fever?"

"It's gone down. Um, could you get me something to eat? A loaf of bread will be fine." Sanji lay back down in the bed. He didn't protest when Zoro pulled the sheets up to his armpits and and placed the damp cloth on his forehead.

"Want some booze with that?" The frown on Zoro's face indicated that he was completely serious. Sanji groaned.

"Chopper will kill me if he finds out I've been drinking in the sick bay," he replied. Smirking, Zoro walked out of the infirmary.

"I'm getting some anyway."

"You sure drink a lot, Marimo," Sanji said as he sipped his wine, watching the swordsman down yet another barrel of sake. "You're gonna drink this ship dry before you know it."

"It's a nice break from training," Zoro said.

"Hey, um…" Sanji shifted about awkwardly in bed.

"What is it?" Zoro asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I take back what I said when you fought Mihawk back in East Blue. I understand why you risked your life now."

A silence fell over the two. Zoro's calloused fingers traced the scar Mihawk had given him and he sighed. "I made a promise to a girl named Kuina. When we were kids she said she was going to become the world's greatest swordsman, but she died… So I have to fulfill the promise for the both of us, even if it means death."

"You've been pretty close to death a few times… Honestly, I get worried," Sanji said. "God, I wish Chopper would let me smoke. I'm gasping for a cigarette."

Zoro shrugged. "Well, you're wasting time getting worried. It's not gonna stop me from fighting for my ambition."

"I know that, marimo, but I'm still gonna worry."

Zoro grinned and tossed a box and a lighter onto the bed. "Go ahead and smoke. I'm not gonna tell Chopper," he said. Sanji half smiled and thanked Zoro, lighting himself a cigarette. Yawning, the swordsman made himself comfortable against the wall.

"Zoro, you can go and sleep in the bedroom if you want," Sanji said, exasperated.

"I'm staying right here," Zoro mumbled as he closed his eyes.

"Stupid marimo," Sanji mumbled. But Zoro had begun to snore. Sighing, Sanji set his wine down on the table, hopped out of bed and wrapped a spare blanket around the swordsman. "Sweet dreams," he whispered tenderly, ruffling Zoro's hair with his good hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**So, this story was pretty damn short. This is the last chapter! Sorry it took so long! I was away on holiday for several days and needed a few days afterwards to recover before I could write again. I haven't had much time to edit and I wanted to put the chapter out before I go away yet again in 2 days, so apologise if there are mistakes. I may or may not go back to edit this shit at a later date. But thanks so much for reading! :)**

Hooves trotted over the floor and the infirmary door swung open. Sanji groaned, stirring from his slumber. "Gah, my head… How much did I even drink?"

"Sanji! You're recovering! You're not allowed to drink," Chopper cried, rushing over with a stethoscope and thermometer. The reindeer sniffed. "And you were smoking!"

"Sorry Chopper. Marimo's a bad influence," Sanji said as Chopper lifted his shirt and held the cold stethoscope on his chest. "If it makes you feel better he drank more than me." He nodded in Zoro's direction. The swordsman was sprawled out on the floor, still passed out. Chopper sighed.

"He drinks far too much. Could you please water down his sake next time he has some at dinner?" Chopper asked as he hopped off the bed.

"He'd notice and he'd complain at me. There's no point," Sanji explained. "Sorry." He shrugged.

"It's really not good for him." Chopper sighed again, although he was smiling faintly. He shook Zoro's unconscious form. "Oi, Zoro, time to wake up!"

"Shit, Chopper. Don't shake me like that." Zoro groaned. Clutching his head, he eased himself into a sitting position.

"Don't tell me you're hungover," Chopper said, exasperated.

"Of course stupid marimo's hungover. You should've seen how much he drank last night!" Sanji butted in. "You were so drunk." He gave Zoro a playful wink. Before Zoro could react, there was a knock on the door.

"Just coming in with breakfast," Nami called. The door swung open. Nami was clutching a huge plate that was piled high with sandwiches.

"NAMI-SAN~! THEY'RE PERFECT!" Sanji almost leaped out of bed to collect the breakfast. "Now, don't trouble yourself anymore for my sake. I'll be just fine." Zoro clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. He reached for a sandwich and nibbled at a corner.

"Thank you, Nami!" Chopper said, grabbing a couple of sandwiches and shoving them in his mouth. The plate was set down at Chopper's desk.

"It's no problem, Chopper." Nami beamed. "How's Sanji-kun's hand? Is it any better?" Her face took on a more serious expression as she shut the door behind her. Chopper sat at his desk and pulled out a pot filled with a blue liquid.

"Well, his hand is still swollen, but I've been working on this medicine that will bring down the swelling," Chopper explained. "It's almost done though!"

"That's great, Chopper! You're such a good doctor!" Nami rushed over to hug the reindeer.

"Sh-shut up! Complimenting me like that doesn't make me happy, stupid!" He yelled as he danced with joy atop his chair.

"He sure looks happy…" Zoro mumbled, cramming the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. He scratched the scar along his eye and stretched, yawning loudly.

"Anyway, I'll leave you to work in peace," Nami said, swinging the door open. "Get well soon, Sanji! We've all missed your cooking." She beamed and strode out of the infirmary.

They sat in silence after she left. Clinking sounds could be heard from Chopper's desk, but neither Zoro or Sanji could see what he was doing, and neither of them could be bothered to get up and see. Finally, Chopper spoke. "Okay guys, I think I've just about finished."

"That's great Chopper!" Zoro exclaimed. Chopper beamed in response.

"I only have to inject it now. Would you hold out your hand, please, Sanji? It only be a little pinch…" The reindeer stuck out his tongue in concentration as he injected the blue liquid. Sanji winced.

"Shit, Chopper! That was more than just a 'little pinch'." Gritting his teeth, Sanji gaped at his hand. It had already shrunk down to its original size. "Woah, Chopper. That was damn quick! Thanks so much!" The skin, as Chopper had said, was still a deep purple and two white scars indicated where the bite had been. But Sanji was able to move it normally again, opening and closing it into a fist. Chopper grinned.

"I'm so happy it's back to normal! Can you cook again? I've missed your cooking so much, Sanji. Nami's cooking is okay but yours is so much better," Chopper gushed. The cook chuckled.

"Sure thing. I'll make you cotton candy for dinner tonight. Go tell the others I'm back to normal." He rubbed Chopper's head, a huge grin plastered on his face. Giggling, Chopper rushed out of the room, a blush on his cheeks. Zoro slapped the cook on the back.

"Glad to have you back," he murmured as he followed Chopper out of the room.

The smell of beef pie wafted from the kitchen. Zoro followed the scent, mouth watering, until he found himself face to face with Sanji. "Hey marimo. What are you doing here?" The cook said with a coy smile.

"You're cooking," Zoro said flatly. His eyes were locked onto Sanji's manacled hand.

"Well, yeah. My hand is better now." Sanji lit himself another cigarette.

"What about the scars?" Zoro said, still staring at the hand. Sanji's eyes trailed down to the hand.

"Honestly, I hate them. I hate how it's gonna be stained purple for the rest of my life. I can never show my hand to the old man back at Baratie again." Neither of them made eye contact.

"I… Have something for you," Zoro mumbled.

"Oh? A gift? I thought you hated me." Sanji smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. Instead, his eyes were filled with visible confusion as Zoro reached into his pocket. He pulled out a pair of black gloves.

"To hide the scars," he stated, shifting around awkwardly. "Sorry I couldn't help anymore than this." Sanji's eyes softened. He gave Zoro a small smiled and took the gloves.

"Thank you," he said, "I appreciate it."

Neither the cook or the swordsman talked much at dinner, although Zoro's eyes lingered on the cook's gloved hands throughout the meal. If the cook noticed he didn't mention it. Instead, he spent the time laughing as Usopp told the crew a tale about how he captured a talking squid. Zoro poked at his pie, uninterested.

"Um, Zoro-san…" Zoro jumped at voice.

"Oh, Brook. What's up?" He said, cramming a huge chunk of pie into his mouth.

"Are you okay? You keep staring at Sanji-kun," Brook said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I've noticed he's started wearing gloves. By any chance, did you get them for him?" The skeleton took a sip of tea.

"Uh, something like that," Zoro murmured. He glanced around the room, hoping no one had heard their conversation. Brook made what Zoro could assume was a smile.

"You and Sanji haven't been arguing so much lately. I'm happy that you could both put aside your differences and get along," Brook said, beaming.

Zoro only gave a wry smile in return. He took a long sip from his sake and glanced at the cook laughing next to Usopp. For once, he was glad that the cook was happy.


End file.
